


Living Adjustments

by Cleo the Muse (cleothemuse)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Author Would Like to Volunteer for Said Hug, Gen, Steve Has a Sense of Humor, Steve Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 22:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleothemuse/pseuds/Cleo%20the%20Muse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How is Captain America adjusting to life in the 21st century? Inquiring minds want to know, and Steve has several answers. Some of them are even true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Living Adjustments

Probably the worst question the reporters ask Steve is how he's adjusting to life in the 21st century after being "gone" (SHIELD's ambiguous explanation) for nearly 70 years. Steve is never certain how to answer the question in a way that won't make SHIELD twitchy, the reporters frenzied, the armchair critics of the cable news networks catty, or any of a number of other responses by varying individuals, groups, or countries.

The first time the question was asked was in an all-Avengers press conference, which was really just himself, Tony Stark, and Agent Sitwell because Agents Romanov and Barton were determined to maintain some of their anonymity in case they were needed for future undercover operations, Doctor Banner looked a little green at the _thought_ of being asked questions by reporters, and Thor was on Asgard. The question, when it was asked, was met with a long stretch of silence while Steve tried to figure out how to answer.

Fortunately, Tony was good at handling the press, and covered his microphone to whisper, "Tell them about the first time you encountered a cell phone."

And because Tony was a genius, it was a _brilliant_ plan: deflect. Steve smiled his showman's smile and leaned closer to his own mic. "When I was growing up, telephones were still an expensive novelty, and even if you had one in your building, it was on a party line and the whole block could listen in on the conversation if they wanted to." He shrugged. "And then I saw a guy walking down 57th Street one day, talking on his... Bluetooth? And I realized party lines haven't really gone away."

The reporters laughed, America loved it, and Steve escaped the question for another day.

The question is approached from many other angles. What does he miss the most about the 1940s? The Brooklyn Dodgers. What _doesn't_ he miss about the 1940s? The Manhattan Giants. What's the best thing about the 21st century? Hundreds of television stations, all in full color. What's the worst thing about the 21st century? There's still nothing on.

It's far too complex a situation to boil down into an answer simple enough for a quick line in a newspaper column or one of the thousands of blogs which follow celebrities, superheroes, and/or celebrity superheroes. There are varying degrees of adjustment that must be considered: history, culture, politics, science, and technology. The language has changed, becoming peppered with idioms from recent history, phrases shared on the internet, and references to other aspects of pop culture. Clothes are much more varied and often a reflection of the person wearing them.

Is he a fan of any current TV shows? _Downton Abbey_ , as it's filmed in Highclere Castle. He stayed there once as a guest of the Earl of Carnarvon, whose father had been friends with Peggy Carter's uncle Howard. What music does he listen to? Jazz and blues, but lately he's been branching out into some of the early rock-and-roll from the 50s and 60s. At his current rate, he might get around to listening to 21st century musicians by the year 2030. What's his favorite color? Plaid.

Tony refers to most of the questions Steve gets asked as "softballs". SHIELD vets the reporters who get to attend those conferences, and none of the ones who make the cut are the kind likely to try upsetting a national treasure. Tony gets no such courtesy, because he and the press are old frenemies.

But sometimes, the question comes phrased in such a way that Steve can't deflect it with humor or some interesting bit of history. Usually, he declines to answer at all. Is there anyone from back then he wishes was still alive to see him today? It's a long list. If he could go back in time, is there anything he'd do differently? It's a shorter list, but no-less painful. Does he regret not getting to make a life with Peggy Carter? Their relationship was young and awkward, with only a single kiss between them and plans for a first date that never happened. It's hard to regret what never was.

There is a real answer to the question, but it isn't one he can give. In truth, Steve never expected to _see_ the 21st century. Born in the summer of 1918, he would have been in his early eighties at the start of the new millennium. Thanks to the serum and the war, Steve was frozen during that time, unaware of the date. Last he knew, it was 1945, and he was plunging to an icy grave.

Without the serum, he probably wouldn't have lived to see his fifties, let alone his eighties. Steve will never admit it out loud, but much of the reason he tried so hard to get into the Army was because he vastly preferred dying in combat to withering away as his frail constitution fell before one disease or another. Bucky never understood that Steve's reticence to date had less to do with a fear of rejection, and more a concern that if he found a lady who'd have him, he'd be dooming her to be a young widow.

So how _is_ Steve adjusting to life in the 21st century? He's _living_ , and for now that's enough.


End file.
